Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-22

In these hack streets, of the main thor
Oughfarss, in thousands Of acres OF wretch
ed and badly ventilated houses, the poor,
and | mean here the working glasses OF
London live, as q rule, one family IN q
room. In this single Don human beings
are horn and die. Within its narrow walls
father, mother, sons and daughters eat,
sleep, work, and in fact perform every
function Of nature. And for the rent OF
this room the occupant pays to a comblna-
ton known rs the house grubber, the agent
and the noble Duke, one-ffth of his weekly
income, reckoned on the basis of his high
est possible earnings. On his actual earn.
inrs allowing for lost time, the pay for a
single room comes much nearer One-quar-
ter the earnings Of the poor, and not lnire-
ouentIy one-third Of their actual weekly
earnings.
Remember am drawing no exceptional
picture, but referring to the majority OF
the homes of the working classes OF London
of the men who earn from 81 to So per
week. Strike an average between these
two amounts, s. per week, and you have
the annual income of the millions who are
able 10 find regular work here. OF the
hundreds Of thousands who cannot, l
shall speak hereafter. They are fortunate
iftheir income reaches 3. 50 per week, and
thankful if they DO not die Of starvation.
The late Lord SALISBURY, probably the
very highest authority on the subject, estl-
mated in 1884 that "RiRe-tcathS OF the
| trorkiag claSSes Of London are dodgers
LOdgers, Single rooms in wretched e n
4 ement houses in the slums Of London.
And these are the homes Of merry Eng
land.
And now for q few statistics, that We
may better understand the extent and
locality OF these slums, and OF the over
erowding in the eongeSted districts OF the
metropolis.
The population Of London, within the
| limits of the Metropolis Local Management
/ Act. and the London School Board District,
was, according To the last census, 1894
/ Al, and the area in acres 10, Dos; 1t Is
probable that the population within this
area to-day exceeds 1000 600 souls. What
proportion of this number live in the light
| and splendor OF the West End, and what
4 proportion exist in the shade and hldeous
/ poyerty which abOunds in the whole dis
! trict OF the Northeast aud East End, and
in the wretched misery Of Southwark, the
Borough, BermOudSey, and what may De
termed the Southeast? To ascertain tins
have carefully separated the census re-
7 tnrns by parishes, and End that The pOpu-
/ Iation al the East Ind OF London, on both
/ sides OF the river was, in 1881, /, 100, 56S.
I Here ] have included S~hOreditch, Bethnal
Green, Cunkenwell, Spitalstield, st.
Luke's, st. Georges In the East; Mile
Eud. Old Town, Shadwell, Mapping,
Radcliffe, Whitecbapel, EimehOuse, Hack
new, Poplar, ON the north side Ofthe river,
and Lambeth, Christ Church, st. Savior,
ISt. Diane, HorSeledOwn, st. Georges the
MARTYR, B~ermShdsey, Southwark, ROther-
hite, ST. Nicholas, Camberwell, st. Paul,
ON the south side OF the river.
In these districts we have ct the present
day something close upon q population o.
., OO0, 900, increasing every decade by
an excess Of births over deaths, Il
say nothing of immigration from
the country and the continent, at the rate
of 80 900, and absolutely no increase II
decent dwellings in which 10 house them
tor the model lodging houses and dwelling
erected ON the site of the rookeTies removed
from time to time, have not equalled II
housing capacity the places removed
/ Much of the space has been taken for Othe
purposes-warehOuses, stores, immens'
goods and passenger stations and othe'
improvements. And the two millions o
human beings have simply been crowded
more closely together, TO the extent, IL
some eases, OF 100 per acre